Electric railway.



No. 670,65I. Patented Mar. 26, I90l. W. T. VAN DOBN.

ELEGTBIBI'RT'AILWAY.

2 Sheath-Shoot].

(Application filed' A (No Modul Patentedflar. 26, I901.

w. xv N w .2, \N\\\\m A,

A p 3% H "ts-Shani 2.

W. T. VAN BORN. ELECTRIC RAILWAY. (Application filed Apr. 27, 1900.:

,No. 670,65l.

UNITED STATES i PATENT Orrice.

WILLIAM T. VAN DORN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,651, dated March26, 1901.

I Application filed April 27,1900. Serial No. 14,627. (No inodel.)

' nois, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Electric Railways,of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to an improvement in railways of that class knownas thirdr'ail electric railways, and more particularly to means forsupporting and insulating the conduit-rail and for protecting the samefrom the weather and from accidental contact and contemplates inconnection with the same safety devices, whereby the train or car isprotected from derailment.

Heretofore in electric railways serious inconvenience has beenoccasioned by the accumulation of snow, sleet, or atmospheric moistureupon the conduit-rail, thereby in many instances destroying theinsulation thereof and requiring an enormous increase in current topropel the car or train. Not only has this accumulation of atmosphericmoisture in the form of rain, snow, or sleet caused leakage of current,but in many in? stances, as in the case of sleet-storms, accumulationsof ice on the conduit-railhave prevented satisfactory'contact with thetrolley 01-- shoe, thereby seriously injuring the efficiency of thesystem and resulting in serious accident, increased expense, andvexatious delays. i

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, andmorefully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the appended drawings, Figure 1 is a view in end elevation of adevice embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section takenthrough the third or conduit rail, illustrating the manner of insulatingand protecting the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly broken away,of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 4 is a section similar to thatshown in Fig. 2 and illustrating the contact devices. Fig. 5 is avertical section of one of the safety-wheels, takensin the plane oftheaxis and illustrating theinsulation thereof. V,

As shown in said drawings, A indicates a truck-frame of any desiredconstruction.

B indicates the truck axlesor journals upon which the said frame issupported.

0 indicates car-wheels of. any desired construction secured upon saidaxles in the usual or in any desired manner.

0 indicates one of the lateral frame members of the truck-frame.

D Dindicate track-rails of usual forms se cured upon cross-ties d d in afamiliar manner.

' E indicates brackets or supports rigidly se; cured to the extremitiesof the cross-ties d by means of bolts or the like and extending upwardlyat the side of the track and located a SllffiGlGIlli distance from therails thereof to prevent contact of any-part of the train therewith. 'Atthe upper end of each support E is provided an arm c,-herein shown asintegral therewith and extending horizontally and inwardly of thetrack.. F indicates a third or conduit rail supported from said arms 6by means'of bolts or the like passing therethrongh and through theflanges of said rail. Said third rail extends parallel with thetrackrails D D,with the head or tread surface thereof directeddownwardly. The same is inclosed at the top and sides thereof in acasing or guard, preferably of wood, which forms a part of theinsulation therefor and at the same time. protects the third rail fromthe action of the weather and from accidental contact with employees orothers.

G indicates a contact-shoe yieldingly supported upon the truck-framemember 0 against the conduit-rail F and having the usual or any desiredconnection with an electric motor carried upon the truck in a familiarmanner.

Referring now more particularly to the feature of construction, the saidbracket E, as shown, is constructed of metal and consists of verticalupright e,.'secured to a flanged I footpiece (2 designed to be securedto the tie by means of bolts or the like, as indicated in the drawings,and a brace 6 as shown, integral.with said upright e at the top thereofand with the footpiece at the lower end. Ob viously' it is not essentialthat the said up-' relatively short and provided with aperturesextending vertically therethrough, through which the bolts pass, wherebythe conduit- The said arms 6 are rail is secured thereto. The said guardfor said conductor-rail, as shown, consists of a plankf of wood or thelike secured by bolting or like means to the under side of said arms,between the same and said conductorrail, a similar plank f securedvertically on the post 6' and forming at its upper edge a tight jointwith the outer edge of the plankf, and a plank f, supported from theends of the arms 6 and the inner edge of the plank f and likewiseforming a tight joint therewith. The said side planks are of sufficientwidth for the lower edge thereof to extend several inches below thecontact surface or head'of said conductor-rail. From the constructiondescribed it is clear that said guard or casing not only efficientlyprotects the conduit-rail from rain, snow, and sleet, but alsoconstitutes one of the means for the insulating thereof. It is notessential that wood or planks be used, however, and said guard may beconstructed of other material, such as vulcanized fiber or the like.Obviously when material such as vulcanized fiber is used the casing maybe made with top and side walls integral. I do not rely wholly on saidguard for the insulation of said rail, however, and, as shown, I providesupplemental insulating means between said conduit-rail and the top ofthe casing or guard. Obviously any one of many forms of insulation maybe employed, and I do not desire to be restricted to the particular formof insulation herein shown, of which H indicates a plate or sheet ofinsulating material secured between the said rail and the under side ofsaid casing, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and at. Said plate or sheet Hmay be of any desired material, that herein indicated being vulcanizedfiber, a sheet of which of suitable thickness and apertu red to receivethe bolts, whereby said conductor-rail and casing are supported from thebracket-arms, is laid between said rail and the top of said casing. Theapertures in the flanges of the said rail and through the top of saidcasing and bracket-arm e are made of suliicient size to receivesupporting-bolts invested in a sleeve or sheath of insulating materialsimilar to that of the sheet H. Each of said sleeves or sheaths ofinsulating material is provided at one of its ends with a flange adaptedto extend beyond the bolt'head, and thereby insulate the same from therail.. Said bolts, each inclosed in its sheath, are inserted throughsaid apertures. A washer of insulating material is placed over thethread ends of the bolts and the nut secured thereon in the usualmanner.

The contact device illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 is constructed asfollows: A cross-piece O is supported upon the frame member 0, with itsend portion projecting laterally beyond the same to a point beneath saidconduit-rail. Said cross-piece may be constructed of wood or ofotherinsulating material, as preferred, or if of metal may be insulatedfrom the truck. As shown, the same consists of an extension of the lowermember of the transom member of said truck-frame. As shown, abracket-arm 0 extends outwardly beneath the end of said cross-piece Cthe same being rigidly secured at its inner end to the truck-frame andat its outer end to said cross-piece by bolting or the like. At theouter end of said cross-piece O are rigidly secured, by bolting or likemeans, upwardlyextending brackets g g, the adjacent faces of which areparallel and adapted to receive between the same a contact-shoe G,herein shown as provided with laterally-extending studs g g, which, asshown, project into vertically-slotted apertures in said brackets g gand constitute the means for retaining said shoe between the same.Between said shoe and cross-piece pushing-springs G G are socured,herein shown as spiral springs, one end thereof engaging saidcross-piece between said brackets, the other end thereof bearingupwardly on the under side of said contactshoe and acting to hold saidcontact-shoe at all times yieldingly against the conduit-rail.Obviously, however, it is not essential that spiral springs be used,inasmuch as any device acting to hold said shoe yieldingly against theconduit-rail will suffice. As a further improvement the footpieces ofthe bracket E, supporting said conduit-rail, may be insulated from thetrack-ties by interposing a layer of insulating material I between saidfootpieces and the upper surface of said-tie. Obviously if this is donesaid insulating material in the form of a sleeve or the like shouldsurround the bolt wherewith said bracket is secured to said ties, and awasher of like material should be inserted between the end of said boltand said bracket. Ordinarily such additional insulation will not berequired, inasmuch as it is designed to completely insulate said rail inits closure or guard heretofore described. Obviously, if desired, suchcontact-rails may be provided on each side-of the track, and thecross-piece heretofore described may be extended upon each side of saidtruck and provided at each of its outer ends with a suitablecontact-shoe. In this construction, which is clearly illustrated in Fig.1, it is obvious that the laterally-projecting ends of said cross-piecesin themselves act as a safety device, inasmuch as upward movementsufficient to permit the flange of the wheel O to ride over the rail Dis resisted by the increased pressure of said contact devices againstsaid conduit-rail. As a further improvement, however, I have providedadditional safety devices, as follows: The axles of the said truck areextended through the journal-boxes on each side of said truck-frame topoints beneath said conduit-rail. Said axle ends, as shown, are ofreduced diameter, and at the outer end of each is rotatively secured thesafety-wheel J, directly beneath the said conduit-rail and normally outof contact therewith. Said wheel J may be wholly of insulating material,such as wood or indurated or vulcanized fiber. Obviously, however, saidWheel with an end flange adapted to extend upwardly on the wheel whenthe sleeve is inserted in the bore thereof with the flange in contactwith theside face of said wheel and adapted to bear against the shoulderon the shaft. An integral screw-threaded stud projects axially from theend of the shaft, adapted to receive a complemental nut. A Washer ofinsulating material is placed over the outer end of said shaft and incontact with the outer face of said wheel. A washer of metal or thelike, of sufficient diameter to extend upwardly a desired distance onsaid insulated washer, is placed over said stud and in contact with saidinsulatingwasher, and the nut b is screwed down on the same. Obviouslyit may be desirable with certain kinds of insulating material to providea bearing-surface for said shaft F within said wheel, and for thispurpose a steel shell or thimble may be secured within the bore of thewheel inside of said insulating material, the inner surface thereofbeing turned to provide a bearing-surface for the shaft.

The operation of the said safety device is as follows: When the car' isin motion and ordinarily the contact-shoes are pressed yieldingly upwardagainst the said conduit-rail, the side walls of the guard extend belowthe point of contact of said shoe and rail, thereby entirely preventingaccumulations of rainwater, snow, or ice on either and insuring at alltimes perfect contact and preventing leak age of current.The'safety-wheels are normally out of contact with said conduit-railsand at a sufficient distance and sufficiently insulated therefrom toprevent the escape of current thereby to the ground. If, however,through any cause the flange of a track-wheel tends to mount thetrack-rail, as is ordinarily the case before the train is derailed, thesafety-wheel is thrown in contact with said conduit-rail, therebypreventing the flange mounting on top of the track-rail.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an electric railway the combination witha conductor located laterally and above the track and provided at thetop and sides thereof with a weather-guard, of a truck provided with alaterally-extending rigid arm, upwardly-extending brackets at the outerend of said arm provided at their upper ends with vertically-extendingslots, a vertically-movable contact-shoe having lugs adapted to beengaged in said slots and a spring interposed between said arm and saidshoe and adapted to press the same upwardly and yieldingly against saidconductor.

2. In an electric railway the combination with conductor-rails rigidlysecured from the ends of the-track-ties on each side of the track atpoints slightly higher than a car-axle, of a truck provided on each sidethereof with a rigid laterally-extending arm, brackets on each arm and acontact-shoe yieldingly supported from said brackets and adapted forcontact with said conductor and an insulated safety device provided oneach truck acting to engage said conductor-rail should the side of thetruck be slightly elevated.

3. The'combination with track-rails of an electric conductor-raillocated at each side of said track at points higher than the axle of acar-truck, a car-truck frame supported on axles provided with flangedwheels adapted to engage said track-rails, said axles projectinglaterally of the truck beyonds'aid trackwheels and provided at theirouter ends with wheels rotative thereof and electrically insulatedtherefrom, said wheels being normally out of contact with saidconductor-rails but adapted to engage the same by elevation a distanceless than the height of a track-wheel flange and electric contactdevicesyieldingly supported on each side of the truck-frame and adapted forengagement with said conductorrails.

4. In a railwaycar truck the combination with the truck-frame, thejournal-box and the rotary axle extending laterally beyond the j onrnal-box of an antifriction-wheel j ournaled at the end of the axle andinsulated therefrom and adapted for engagement with an electricalconductor located at the side of the track.

'5. In a railway-car truck the combination when abnormally elevatedbeing adapted to engage conductor-rails located on each'side of thetrack and a contact-shoe supported on each side of the truck-frame eachadapted for contact with one of said conductor-rails.

In testimony that I claim the above as my invention I hereunto subscribemy name, in

the presence of two witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 24th day ofApril, 1900.

WILLIAM T. VAN DORN. Witnesses:

LoUIs J. DELSON, CHARLES W. HILLS.

